Best East coast beach town to live in

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MrsO
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Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by MrsO »

Someday I’d like to move to a beach town, preferably on the East coast. I’ve done a lot of exploring but would love to hear recommendations for great places to live (not just visit).

It could be anywhere from Maine to Florida, including sleepy coastal towns, large cities, and islands. Ideally it would be pedestrian friendly, meaning there are areas where you can walk straight from the beach to shops and restaurants.

I’d like to keep the criteria wide open, so let’s not worry about schools, taxes, or extreme weather for now. This is all about quality of life and the ability to live near the ocean while still having plenty of other things to do.

Thanks in advance!
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quantAndHold
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by quantAndHold »

That’s a wide range with a lot of variety. You may need to narrow your wishes down more.

I have friends in Newburyport, MA, which is a lovely, lovely place. Quaint town, walkable, nice coastline, beautiful fall foliage. I would highly recommend it, but they’ve had winters where the snow was up above their windowsills for an extended period of time. Are you okay with that?
ThankYouJack
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by ThankYouJack »

I wouldn't choose the Northeast year round because of the weather, cold water temps and short days in the winter.

But if money were no issue (?) and I was set on the East coast I'd probably spend winters in Florida and summers in the Massachusetts.
carolinaman
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by carolinaman »

The Carolina coast offers a variety of beach towns. Also, Wilmington and Charleston are very close to the beaches and have a lot of appeal of their own. Summers are hot but the other 9 months are great. Mild winters and very pleasant spring and fall seasons. It is not unusual to see a sunny 70 degree day in January.
faanger101
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by faanger101 »

carolinaman wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 1:14 pm The Carolina coast offers a variety of beach towns. Also, Wilmington and Charleston are very close to the beaches and have a lot of appeal of their own. Summers are hot but the other 9 months are great. Mild winters and very pleasant spring and fall seasons. It is not unusual to see a sunny 70 degree day in January.
I've been a couple of times in Charleston in 'low season' (Nov-Mar). Strong, wet, cold wind. Thanks but nah
Wanderingwheelz
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
Being wrong compounds forever.
PeninsulaPerson
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by PeninsulaPerson »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm
... and the ability to live near the ocean while still having plenty of other things to do.

Could you get more specific about what you mean by "live near the ocean"?

Do you mean "on" the ocean (which can be dangerous during big storms with big seawall-destroying & house-damaging waves) -or- in a nautical town -or- do you need an ocean view -or- what?

And weather matters. All extremes aside, Boston is different from Miami - let alone from Bar Harbor. The oceans are different, ocean access is different, water temperature is way different.

You will probably get better/more useful ideas to follow-up on if you could provide a little more information.

(P.S. Newburyport is a special place. Very highly recommended! But it's not Key Biscayne!)
muffins14
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by muffins14 »

New York City?

You can be at the beach from Brooklyn in 30-45 mins, or even live in queens in the rockaways and walk to the beach, or live in Manhattan and take the train to the beach in an hour.

Walkable, and plenty of other not-beach things to do.

Can go to rockaways beaches, Long beach, New Jersey beaches etc
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WillRetire
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by WillRetire »

Southeast Virginia. Take your pick of ocean, bay, rivers. Plenty of cities & towns to choose from. July-August are hot & humid and winters are short & mild.

Always wanted to visit Savannah Georgia.

If heat/humidity don't bother you: Florida. Lots of coastline, lots of beaches, lots of cities & towns.

ETA: Woods Hole in Massachusetts. Haven't been there in 30+ years but it was beautiful.
Last edited by WillRetire on Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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dodecahedron
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by dodecahedron »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm Someday I’d like to move to a beach town, preferably on the East coast. I’ve done a lot of exploring but would love to hear recommendations for great places to live (not just visit).

It could be anywhere from Maine to Florida, including sleepy coastal towns, large cities, and islands. Ideally it would be pedestrian friendly, meaning there are areas where you can walk straight from the beach to shops and restaurants.

I’d like to keep the criteria wide open, so let’s not worry about schools, taxes, or extreme weather for now. This is all about quality of life and the ability to live near the ocean while still having plenty of other things to do.

Thanks in advance!
Great topic—thanks for starting this thread.
DarthSage
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by DarthSage »

We're in Wilmington, NC. Downtown feels the most "city", but it has its charms--cobblestone streets, river view, etc. We live in a quiet neighborhood, with 0.44 acres backing up to a golf course--very peaceful, yet within a mile there are 3 grocery stores, 3 pizza places, several other restaurants, a library, hardware store, etc.

There are a few colleges and other venues for entertainment. 3 of my kids attend UNCW in some form or other. We've seen concerts, musicals, and ballets at different venues.

Wilmington has been building planned communities where you can live, work, and shop within easy walking distance. I'm not the biggest fan--it's fine for some things, not for others. For example, the community where our dentist is gave highest priorities to green spaces. Sounds lovely, until you can't find a parking spot. Worse, the dentist is in a building with several doctors' offices, so while I might be mildly annoyed with hoofing it from a couple hundred yards away, it's got to be tougher on the patients of the OB/GYN practice.

That said, for the right person/couple, you could easily get away with one, possibly zero cars. We get, on average, 1 inch of snow per year. And ~1 serious hurricane every 10 years. We don't live hard by the ocean, so we're out of the evacuation zone. However, we purchase a yearly beach pass which allows us to park ON the beach (you need a 4WD vehicle), on a part of the beach where dogs are allowed year-round.

Not gonna lie, July and August can be brutal, and I personally hate the beach traffic. But, it might be worth a look.
deikel
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by deikel »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:07 pm Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
Is that reverse psychology or for real ? I heard good things....
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frugalecon
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by frugalecon »

deikel wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:32 pm
Wanderingwheelz wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:07 pm Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
Is that reverse psychology or for real ? I heard good things....
Lewes, DE is even worse. For sure don’t move there.
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tennisplyr
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by tennisplyr »

One of Florida's east coast cities...Fort Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach, Del Rey Beach. Swim all year round, generally free.
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WS1
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by WS1 »

muffins14 wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:54 pm New York City?

You can be at the beach from Brooklyn in 30-45 mins, or even live in queens in the rockaways and walk to the beach, or live in Manhattan and take the train to the beach in an hour.

Walkable, and plenty of other not-beach things to do.

Can go to rockaways beaches, Long beach, New Jersey beaches etc
+1
theplayer11
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by theplayer11 »

the best beach towns are the ones nobody has heard of
livesoft
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by livesoft »

North Shore of Long Island is on Long Island Sound which is saltwater and directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. There are some nice private beaches very near/in highly walkable towns.
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Supergrover
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Supergrover »

Wanderingwheelz wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:07 pm Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
LOL I’ve been considering Delaware!
Wanderingwheelz
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

frugalecon wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:50 pm
deikel wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:32 pm
Wanderingwheelz wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:07 pm Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
Is that reverse psychology or for real ? I heard good things....
Lewes, DE is even worse. For sure don’t move there.
Rehoboth is way worse than Lewes! The boardwalk is definitely a check in the “no” column and Lewes is fortunate not to have one. Outlet stores too… not a plus.

That said, I way prefer NC for a “middle Atlantic” destination. People reading this should definitely go to Outer Banks or even the Jersey Shore before considering second rate Delaware. It’s FAR nicer at both places. I’ve spent plenty of time at both.

Maine is the nicest shoreline in the east, hands down. I’ve been to every beach town on the east coast and nothing is quite like Maine. In Florida, I prefer the gulf coast to the Atlantic. Naples is probably where I’d buy if I was forced to choose Florida.
Last edited by Wanderingwheelz on Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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alpenglow
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by alpenglow »

livesoft wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:50 pm North Shore of Long Island is on Long Island Sound which is saltwater and directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. There are some nice private beaches very near/in highly walkable towns.
Great suggestion. Northport and Huntington villages come to mind. There are some nice areas on the North Fork too. $$$ though.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by UpperNwGuy »

faanger101 wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:06 pm
carolinaman wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 1:14 pm The Carolina coast offers a variety of beach towns. Also, Wilmington and Charleston are very close to the beaches and have a lot of appeal of their own. Summers are hot but the other 9 months are great. Mild winters and very pleasant spring and fall seasons. It is not unusual to see a sunny 70 degree day in January.
I've been a couple of times in Charleston in 'low season' (Nov-Mar). Strong, wet, cold wind. Thanks but nah
I've visited Charleston often during the low season, and the weather has been great about 75% of the time.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by delamer »

With beach towns, be cognizant of two things:

1. Some are dead in the winter months (closed stores and restaurants) and hyper-crowded in the summer.
2. Availability of physicians (primary and specialty) and medical care can very limited locally.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by smitcat »

alpenglow wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:24 pm
livesoft wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:50 pm North Shore of Long Island is on Long Island Sound which is saltwater and directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. There are some nice private beaches very near/in highly walkable towns.
Great suggestion. Northport and Huntington villages come to mind. There are some nice areas on the North Fork too. $$$ though.
I would not call most of the beaches there 'great' nor are they on the ocean... but the boating is very good and some smaller towns are very walkable.
Winters are a bit tough, and taxes are on the high side.... average water tempos are like 74 max in the summer months.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by EdNorton »

Beaufort, SC, please don't tell anyone.
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alpenglow
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by alpenglow »

smitcat wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:52 pm
alpenglow wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:24 pm
livesoft wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:50 pm North Shore of Long Island is on Long Island Sound which is saltwater and directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. There are some nice private beaches very near/in highly walkable towns.
Great suggestion. Northport and Huntington villages come to mind. There are some nice areas on the North Fork too. $$$ though.
I would not call most of the beaches there 'great' nor are they on the ocean... but the boating is very good and some smaller towns are very walkable.
Winters are a bit tough, and taxes are on the high side.... average water tempos are like 74 max in the summer months.
Rocky beaches for sure! I grew up in the area.
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alpenglow
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by alpenglow »

EdNorton wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:55 pm Beaufort, SC, please don't tell anyone.
:sharebeer
I found the historic areas to be very charming.
smitcat
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by smitcat »

alpenglow wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 7:00 pm
smitcat wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:52 pm
alpenglow wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 5:24 pm
livesoft wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 4:50 pm North Shore of Long Island is on Long Island Sound which is saltwater and directly connected to the Atlantic Ocean. There are some nice private beaches very near/in highly walkable towns.
Great suggestion. Northport and Huntington villages come to mind. There are some nice areas on the North Fork too. $$$ though.
I would not call most of the beaches there 'great' nor are they on the ocean... but the boating is very good and some smaller towns are very walkable.
Winters are a bit tough, and taxes are on the high side.... average water tempos are like 74 max in the summer months.
Rocky beaches for sure! I grew up in the area.
Agreed - unless you go out to Callahan's, Sand City or Sunken Meadow. I am on the town dock now but headed out of town with this last post.
Dave55
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Dave55 »

Nauset Beach, MA. Cape May, NJ.

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bradinsky
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by bradinsky »

How about the east coast of Lake Michigan? There are some great beach towns there, but they lack salt water.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Old Guy »

Hilton Head Island but not on the south end of the Island. Too many tourists during the summer.
faanger101
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by faanger101 »

Old Guy wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 7:27 pm Hilton Head Island but not on the south end of the Island. Too many tourists during the summer.
HHI is nice but summer crowds are insane :annoyed
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by lepegasus »

Cape May, NJ
Lewes, DE
Portland, ME
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by stefan_lec »

For Florida, look at beach communities near Jacksonville (northeast corner of state): St Augustine, Ponte Vedra, Jax Beach, Fernandina Beach/Amelia Island.

Beautiful, less busy than many other better-known coastal regions of Florida, and historically has the least hurricane risk of them all (though it's far from zero).
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Picasso
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Picasso »

Edgartown, MA. Full stop.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by 22twain »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm I’d like to keep the criteria wide open, so let’s not worry about schools, taxes, or extreme weather for now. This is all about quality of life and the ability to live near the ocean while still having plenty of other things to do.
Is money a consideration?

And what kind of "other things"?
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22twain
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by 22twain »

EdNorton wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:55 pm Beaufort, SC, please don't tell anyone.
:sharebeer
I recently read about a couple out West who were into sailing/boating and looking for a place on the east coast. Their boat dealer suggested Beaufort NC. They flew over, looked around, and found a place they really liked, except for one thing: the water seemed a bit shallow. They called up their boat dealer, who was confused and said the water in Beaufort NC is plenty deep enough. It turned out the couple was in Beaufort SC! They ended up buying there anyway.

What makes this a bit weird is that it's "Bowfort" NC but "Bewfurt" SC!
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by jradisch »

We are currently building in Wilmington NC (actually Leland) which is about 20 minutes from the ocean. Moving from 130+ inches of snow/year in Upstate NY to maybe 1 inch of snow annually,
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by DarthSage »

jradisch wrote: Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:12 am We are currently building in Wilmington NC (actually Leland) which is about 20 minutes from the ocean. Moving from 130+ inches of snow/year in Upstate NY to maybe 1 inch of snow annually,
Just curious--whereabouts in upstate NY? We lived in Saratoga County (and are now in Wilmington). I mentioned that we had, on average 7 feet of snow a year, and my son's doctor said he's never seen 7 feet of snow in his entire life!
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by hudson »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm Someday I’d like to move to a beach town, preferably on the East coast. I’ve done a lot of exploring but would love to hear recommendations for great places to live (not just visit).

It could be anywhere from Maine to Florida, including sleepy coastal towns, large cities, and islands. Ideally it would be pedestrian friendly, meaning there are areas where you can walk straight from the beach to shops and restaurants.

I’d like to keep the criteria wide open, so let’s not worry about schools, taxes, or extreme weather for now. This is all about quality of life and the ability to live near the ocean while still having plenty of other things to do.

Thanks in advance!
Cape Cod...maybe a sleepy coastal town near the rail trail.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by billaster »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm Someday I’d like to move to a beach town, preferably on the East coast.
Well, JackieO's house on Martha's Vineyard was recently for sale for $65 million.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Conch55 »

I live close to two popular beach areas, one in SE Virginia and the other NE North Carolina, both mentioned numerous times on this forum. The NC location recently went through am issue with a major health care provider leaving and the difficulties replacing the service were/are newsworthy. Not sure it's fully resolved but I'd factor that into my decision to relocate. Seasonal traffic headaches are the norm with most Saturday's during the summer gridlocked. Off-season is nice but the tourist season has gotten longer so having your town 'back' is shorter. The Virginia location has an economy not (totally) dependent on tourism which is why we have stayed. Good healthcare options, cultural events common, numerous choices for shopping, etc. Weather is okay, coldish winters but 8+ months of nice if you can tolerate typical southern east coast summer humidity, high temperatures and the occasional hurricane.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by Wanderingwheelz »

Conch55 wrote: Sat Jun 10, 2023 1:40 pm I live close to two popular beach areas, one in SE Virginia and the other NE North Carolina, both mentioned numerous times on this forum. The NC location recently went through am issue with a major health care provider leaving and the difficulties replacing the service were/are newsworthy. Not sure it's fully resolved but I'd factor that into my decision to relocate. Seasonal traffic headaches are the norm with most Saturday's during the summer gridlocked. Off-season is nice but the tourist season has gotten longer so having your town 'back' is shorter. The Virginia location has an economy not (totally) dependent on tourism which is why we have stayed. Good healthcare options, cultural events common, numerous choices for shopping, etc. Weather is okay, coldish winters but 8+ months of nice if you can tolerate typical southern east coast summer humidity, high temperatures and the occasional hurricane.
It’s not all the fault of tourists that beach towns are not as relaxing as they used to be, though they’re the ones that get blamed. In the east coast beach town where I live, the traffic count is higher on a typical winter day in January than is was during the 4th of July holiday weekend only 30 years ago. That’s not tourism having a profound impact on the quality of life, it’s transplants. I might have 25 homes on my street and I am the only one that was born here. My wife wasn’t either.

Beach towns on the east coast are literally under assault- especially those with not ridiculous state and local taxes.

I find it funny how a person relocates here and immediately starts complaining about all of the stress on the infrastructure.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by guyfromct »

Conch55 wrote: Sat Jun 10, 2023 1:40 pm I live close to two popular beach areas, one in SE Virginia and the other NE North Carolina, both mentioned numerous times on this forum. The NC location recently went through am issue with a major health care provider leaving and the difficulties replacing the service were/are newsworthy. Not sure it's fully resolved but I'd factor that into my decision to relocate. Seasonal traffic headaches are the norm with most Saturday's during the summer gridlocked. Off-season is nice but the tourist season has gotten longer so having your town 'back' is shorter. The Virginia location has an economy not (totally) dependent on tourism which is why we have stayed. Good healthcare options, cultural events common, numerous choices for shopping, etc. Weather is okay, coldish winters but 8+ months of nice if you can tolerate typical southern east coast summer humidity, high temperatures and the occasional hurricane.
I’ve been involved in healthcare in NC for quite a while, I’m unclear as to what you’re talking about. A small CAH closed in Belhaven, but I wouldn’t consider that a popular beach town and Sentara closed its facility Kitty Hawk.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by brokendirtdart »

Chatham, Orleans, or Eastham, MA. Realize you will have to go 'off Cape' for any specialty health care.
Westerly, RI area is OK too.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by protagonist »

MrsO wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:37 pm Someday I’d like to move to a beach town, preferably on the East coast. I’ve done a lot of exploring but would love to hear recommendations for great places to live (not just visit).


Thanks in advance!
That's a very wide range of beach towns, and most likely you will get a wide range of replies, based on what works for the people who respond.
Many variables:
1. Climate (ME is VERY different than FL!!)
2. Amenities - do you like busy places with lots of amenities or secluded hideaways?
3. Cost of living
4, Any particular sports you enjoy? Cultural access?
5. Compatible politics (these days that may be an important consideration for some people)
etc. etc.
6. Are sandy beaches important?
7. How risk-tolerant are you of hurricanes and/or flooding risk?

In other words, we need to know a lot more about what you are looking for to provide any meaningful responses.
Last edited by protagonist on Sun Jun 11, 2023 5:17 pm, edited 2 times in total.
arf30
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by arf30 »

Rumson, NJ
jradisch
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by jradisch »

DarthSage wrote: Sat Jun 10, 2023 11:05 am
jradisch wrote: Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:12 am We are currently building in Wilmington NC (actually Leland) which is about 20 minutes from the ocean. Moving from 130+ inches of snow/year in Upstate NY to maybe 1 inch of snow annually,
Just curious--whereabouts in upstate NY? We lived in Saratoga County (and are now in Wilmington). I mentioned that we had, on average 7 feet of snow a year, and my son's doctor said he's never seen 7 feet of snow in his entire life!
Syracuse. After 65 years, finally waiting for my wife to retire in 12 days. We researched the Coastal Carolina area and visited many times and fell in love with the lifestyle. The new house will be completeted in 2 months then we're gone. Summers and Fall are nice in Upstate NY, but the winters can be brutal.
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by 21&lewis »

EdNorton wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 6:55 pm Beaufort, SC, please don't tell anyone.
:sharebeer
Also consider Beaufort, NC (just check your pronunciation :wink:)
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by yatesd »

I heard everyone was fleeing places near the ocean due to risks. Find a place to live 100 miles + inland and you should be OK. Maybe Richmond, VA?
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Re: Best East coast beach town to live in

Post by MDfan »

deikel wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 3:32 pm
Wanderingwheelz wrote: Fri Jun 09, 2023 2:07 pm Rehoboth Beach sucks.
Don’t move here.
Is that reverse psychology or for real ? I heard good things....
Delaware beaches are nice. Just don't go between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The beaches in SC blow the Delaware/MD beaches away. We are big fans of Charleston and Hilton Head.
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